Male connectors and female connectors are generally used to electrically connect electrical wires to circuit boards of various types of electrical devices in an automobile, for example, when mated together.
Typically, a male connector and a female connector both have a housing made of an insulating material such as a resin and a plurality of terminals made of a conductive material such as a metal housed in the housing, wherein each terminal is connected to one end of a wire.
In recent years, a demand is growing for downsizing these connectors used to electrically connect an electrical wire to a circuit board for an automobile, for example.
To prevent the terminals from dropping off the housing, the housing of a connector is provided with a lance (a protrusion). As the connector is downsized, the internal structure becomes denser. As a result, the terminals and therefore the lance are also downsized. The smaller the lance, the less firmly the lance holds the terminals, such that the ability to prevent the terminals from dropping off deteriorates.
In view of such circumstances, the housing may be provided with a retainer, which prevents the terminals from dropping off the housing (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-8004 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-332333, for example).
As shown in FIG. 10, a housing 1 includes slots 2 formed at intervals for holding a plurality of terminals. A terminal connected to one end of an electrical wire is inserted into and secured in each slot 2.
The housing 1 has an opening 3 formed in a part of one side that faces the terminals inserted into the slots 2. A retainer 4 closes the opening 3, and secures the terminals in the opening 3.
In the embodiment shown, the retainer 4 is attached to the housing 1 by hinges 5. The retainer 4 opens and closes the opening 3 by pivoting on the hinges 5 between a position where the retainer 4 is spaced apart from the opening 3 and positioned where the retainer 4 closes the opening 3.
However, when the housing 1 with the retainer 4 is fitted to the housing of the mating connector, the hinges 5 of the retainer 4 may collide with the housing of the mating connector and be fractured.
Furthermore, the connectors may not be smoothly mated with each other because of the interference between the hinges 5 and the housing of the mating connector.